This disclosure relates to communications systems and, more particularly, to a method for communicating activation codes to a communications device.
Communications services providers have long complained about their inability to make new features available to their subscribers without incurring high advertising costs. For example, millions of dollars have been spent to publicize the automatic callback feature that allows a user to automatically place a call to the last incoming calling number (which may be unknown) by pressing an activation code, such as *69. Because the advertising expenses are significant, communications services providers have to charge a high transaction fee for the automatic callback feature to recoup their advertising expenses, and earn a reasonable return on their investments. The high transaction fee for the automatic callback feature prevents a significant number of communications services users from invoking the feature
In an attempt to find a solution to this problem, Mirville and Silverman in U.S Pat. No. 5,745,553 proposed a solution that allows a user to receive on a display of a caller-id box, information related to communications features available to such user. According to the Mirville-Silverman solution, the communications system constantly transmits communications services features information to a subscriber primarily when the subscriber""s telephone set is in an off-hook position. Specifically, the communications services feature information is transmitted to the caller-id box either in-band using the Analog Display Services Interface (ADSI) protocol for analog lines, or via the data channel (D) of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISD) connection for digital lines. The communications services feature information includes an activation code for each feature as well as the fee for dynamically invoking the feature.
While the Mirville-Silverman solution represents a significant advance over the prior art, the solution however is not without some imperfections. For example, the use of the in-band or the D channel for transmission of the activation codes prevents or impairs the use of such channels for other purposes. The transmission of activation codes in-band can potentially interfere with similar transmission of caller identification information that is typically sent between the first and second rings.
Equally important is the fact that when a communications service feature is invoked for a POTS call, the activation code for such invocation is transmitted in-band. Such in-band transmission unduly interferes with the on-going conversation between calling and called parties. Thus, a solution is needed that implements the Mirville-Silverman teachings while overcoming the deficiencies of the Mirville-Silverman solution.
The present disclosure is directed to a communications system that allows an end-user device (hereinafter called xe2x80x9ca service activatorxe2x80x9d) that is coupled to a telephone set to receive activation codes that are transmitted thereto by a switch of such communications system when the telephone set is in an on-hook position. The principles of the present disclosure can be implemented as either a downloading process or as a polling process. In the downloading process, the communications system initiates the transmission of the activation codes to the service activator. In the polling process, the service activator initiates the reception of activation codes therein.
In an exemplary embodiment of the principles of the downloading process, an adjunct processor that is coupled to a switch of the communications system places a call to the telephone number associated with the telephone set for the purpose of downloading activation codes to the service activator. The adjunct processor is equipped with an auto dialer that is capable of initiating calls to telephone sets and other communications devices. For the purpose of receiving activation codes, the service activator operates in a manner similar to an answering machine inasmuch that it is arranged to receive information when the telephone set is still in an on-hook position after a predetermined number of rings. The service activator of the present disclosure includes a Simultaneous Voice over Data (SVD) modem that is equipped with a ringing tone suppressor and an auto dialer.
The switch to which the telephone set is coupled is arranged to send a distinctive signal ringing tone to the telephone line for calls initiated by the adjunct processor. Upon receiving the distinctive ringing tone, the service activator suppresses ringing to the telephone set and transmits a xe2x80x9cData Set Readyxe2x80x9d (DSR) signal to the adjunct processor. The reception of the DSR signal by the adjunct processor triggers the information downloading process. At the end of the process, the adjunct processor terminates the call.
Alternatively, the adjunct processor may send a paging signal to a paging receiver of the service activator. Upon receiving the paging signal, the service activator initiates the polling process described below.
In an exemplary embodiment of the polling process, the service activator uses its auto dialer to initiate a call to the adjunct processor that is coupled to the switch serving the service activator. Upon completion of the call, the adjunct processor uses the Automatic Number Identification (ANI) associated with the call to determine the appropriate activation codes to be downloaded to the storage area of the service activator. Thereafter, the adjunct processor transmits the appropriate activation codes to the service activator.